Scharmaine Lawson Baker, Medicare Fraud, Louisiana 2026
Feds Slam Nurse Practitioner with 87 Months in Prison for $12M Medicare Scam
In a brazen case of healthcare corruption, a Louisiana nurse practitioner has been sentenced to 87 months in prison for orchestrating a $12 million Medicare fraud scheme. Scharmaine Lawson Baker, 59, of Fulshear, Texas, was handed down the harsh sentence on June 17, 2026, after being found guilty of causing false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary cancer genetic tests.
According to court documents, Lawson Baker received tens of thousands of dollars in kickbacks from a telehealth company in exchange for ordering expensive cancer genetic tests. The nurse practitioner, who claimed to be an expert in Medicare regulations, would often sign orders for the tests after brief phone calls with patients, lasting less than 30 seconds, without ever examining them. This was a clear violation of the very standards she touted in her books on medical necessity and patient-provider relationships.
Lawson Baker's scheme ran from October 2018 to October 2019, during which she worked as an independent contractor for the telehealth company. The company's phone operator even boasted to Lawson Baker that she would "roll in money" by signing the orders, which she did, raking in the cash.
As part of her sentence, Lawson Baker was ordered to pay $1,508,868.25 in restitution, a small fraction of the $12 million she swindled from Medicare. The case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of healthcare corruption and the importance of holding those responsible accountable for their actions.
Lawson Baker's 87-month prison sentence is a testament to the dedication of law enforcement agencies in rooting out Medicare fraud and bringing perpetrators to justice. The case is a sobering reminder that those who seek to exploit the healthcare system for personal gain will face severe consequences.
Source: Department of Justice
Source: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/nurse-practitioner-sentenced-87-months-prison-12m-medicare-fraud